Our U10 Girls were safely inside after their game was cancelled due to the horrid weather, but, there was no stopping our big girls as they sprinted undaunted into action and the eye of Hurricane Bert!
First up were our U14s, hosting their old friends - Kings Langley - in the League Cup at Pursley. Despite still being Autumn, conditions were like the Artic in winter with the wind and rain coming in sideways it wasn’t going to be a game for the faint hearted!
The Wood's girls started quickly as is there MO, putting pressure on the Langley defence with Elsinho and Lonaldo terrorising their opponents. G9 was was linking play and causing havoc also, like a top striker should; the Langley goal was bewitched today as it led a charmed life and should have seen double figures.
Our first goal was to come from G9 who raced clear of the defence to latch onto Elsinho’s pass and score emphatically into the bottom corner. Skipper Annie and schemer Aanya were tasked with loading the gun for the Wood’s frightening front 3 with Yvie being the pivot in front of the back four, tidying up and playing forward to her teammates. These 3 took the game by the scruff of the neck and drove the team forward. Today's back four was Poppy N at RB, with Ava & Poppy S our dominant central defenders and Theaya locking down our left flank. Pheidi & Hazel were on the bench as both are coming back from injury this week.
The charmed life of the Langley goal had us all scratching our heads as to how we didn’t score more in the first half and keep the scoreboard moving. HT: 1-0 Wood.
Playing down the slope with the wind at our backs we knew Langley would need a miracle to score against us. Try as they might, Langley could not break through the midfield cover of Pheidi or Yvie and then our defensive line. Elsinho was dancing around the Langley
defence like a ballerina in Swan Lake! She could do no wrong today in an imperious performance from our POM.
Our second was to come from another virtuoso effort from Lonaldo on the left, with a timely finish for a well deserved goal: 2-0 Wood. The third was another fine finish from G9 to take the game away from Langley. The match was now one way traffic with our dancing wingers unstoppable even with 2 or 3 defenders around them. G9 rattled the bar at least twice with thunderous strikes and Yvie also trying to add to her worldly from last week as she cannoned the bar.
The pressure was telling and the Langley defence just couldn’t hold back the tide; Lonaldo picked the ball up in the area and placed a perfect shot in the far corner with her weaker right foot: 4-0 Wood. However there was something missing from this dazzling display and it was a goal from Elsinho who was unplayable at times. She was moved centrally to play as the No9 and it wasn’t long before she poached a predator’s finish and side footed a low cross into the net like an old pro in this new position to her!
5-0 to the Wood and another great performance from a team/squad growing together and getting stronger week on week.
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Next up were our U15s, stealthily moving up their league table and perched very handily in 2nd place prior to today's game. Last weekend saw the girls come back from 2-0 down away at Harefield to draw 2-2, courtesy of a lovely goal from inform striker Louella and a penalty from Abi.
This weekend saw us return to Stevenage for our 3rd game against this opposition this season. The previous two encounters brought plenty of goals and today was no different, with an added helping of strong wind, rain and near freezing temperatures courtesy of big, bad Bert!
In very difficult conditions, and on a heavy pitch, the pre-game message was to keep organised and disciplined at the back, be competitive not complacent, and to get the ball down and play it and bring our attacking players into the game quickly.
We started well, quickly establishing ourselves as the better side and enjoying the bulk of possession, but without hugely troubling the Stevenage keeper for the first quarter of the game. At the other end our defence was well in control and we never really looked like conceding so it was only a matter of time before we scored; great individual work in the box by Louella on 22mins that broke the deadline.
At half time we talked about going out and getting the second goal, and knowing that if we did we would probably score 4 or 5 and so it was. Missy made it 0-2 on 49 minutes with a cracking strike from the edge of the box after strongly winning a loose ball from a corner.
Not to be outdone by her old mate, Milly did exactly the same thing on 52 minutes with another strike finding the top corner, and from then on we could relax a bit. The fourth goal was a lovely strike into the bottom corner by Amie following a darting run into the box after good work by Hollie.
The final goal of the game was arguably the pick of the bunch, starting with a roll out from Nisa to Abi who found Yasmin on the left wing; her inviting early ball into the box was met by Louella, scoring her second of the game by rounding the keeper!
With plenty of subs, and cold weather, we kept the substitutions flowing with all girls slotting in well and our rhythm was never really disrupted which is testament to the team's hard work and ability across the park. We played some great football despite the conditions, scored some lovely goals and we were excellent at the back.
Lots of very good performances today but Player of the Match this week goes to birthday girl Abi who was faultless at the back, defensively solid and passed the ball really well today.